Dipper handle cross member

ABSTRACT

A handle configured to attach an implement to an industrial machine. The handle includes a first member, a second member, and a third member extending between the first member and the second member. The third member includes a first transition extending toward the first member and a second transition extending toward the second member.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/295,266, filed on Feb. 15, 2016, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a mining shovel, and more specifically, a handle for supporting a dipper on a mining shovel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the mining field, and in other fields in which large volumes of material must be collected and removed from a work site, it is typical to employ industrial machines including a large dipper for shoveling the materials from the work site. Industrial machines, such as rope shovels, draglines, etc., are used to execute digging operations to remove material from, for example, a bank of a mine. Rope shovels typically including a boom, a handle movably coupled to the boom and supporting a digging attachment (e.g., a dipper), and a pulley or boom sheave supported on the boom. The handle supports the dipper while the dipper is removing material from the bank. A hoist rope extends over a portion of the boom sheave and is connected to the dipper to raise and lower the dipper, thereby producing an efficient digging motion to excavate the bank of material.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, the invention provides a handle configured to attach an implement to an industrial machine. The handle includes a first member, a second member, and a third member extending between the first member and the second member. The third member includes a first transition extending toward the first member and a second transition extending toward the second member.

In another aspect, the invention provides a connecting member of a handle configured to attach a work implement to an industrial machine. The handle includes a first member having a first interior face, and a second member having a second interior face opposite the first interior face. The connecting member includes a third member extending between the first member and the second member. The intersection of the third member with the first interior face is non-orthogonal and the intersection of the third member with the second interior face is non-orthogonal.

Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an industrial machine according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective of a conventional handle.

FIG. 3 is a partial perspective cross-sectional view of the conventional handle of FIG. 2 taken along line 3-3 shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a handle according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a partial perspective cross-sectional view of the handle of FIG. 4 taken along line 5-5 shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a handle according to another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a partial perspective cross-sectional view of the handle of FIG. 6 taken along line 7-7 shown in FIG. 6.

Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Although the invention described herein can be applied to, or used in conjunction with a variety of industrial machines (e.g., an electric rope shovel, dragline, etc.), embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are described with respect to a power shovel, such as the power shovel shown in FIG. 1. The shovel 10 includes a mobile base 15, drive tracks 20, a turntable 25, a boom 35, a sheave 45, tension cables 50, a back stay 55, a stay structure 60, an implement 70 (e.g., a dipper), a hoist rope 75, a winch drum 80, a handle 85 (e.g., a dipper arm), a saddle block 90, and a pivot point 95.

With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, a conventional handle 85 a is illustrated that is used on a mining shovel similar to the shovel 10 of FIG. 1. In particular, the handle 85 a includes a first rectangular, box member 110 and a second rectangular, box member 114 that are joined at a first end 118 by a torsion tube 122. The torsion tube 122 extends between an interior face 126 of the first member 110 and an opposite interior face 130 of the second member 114. The conventional handle 85 a further includes implement attachment points 134 (e.g., dipper attachment points) at the first end 118 where a dipper (similar to the dipper 70 of FIG. 1) is attached to the handle 85 a.

Disadvantages of the conventional handle 85 a include the presence of locations with high mechanical stress. In particular, with reference to FIG. 3, rear corners 138 of the torsion tube 122 are locations where cracking and/or mechanical failure are likely to occur due to large stress concentrations. More specifically, the rear corners 138 are where the tube 122 attaches at a right angle to the first and second members 110, 114 (i.e., the tube 122 is abutted flat against the interior faces 126, 130 of the first and second members 110, 114). In other words, the handle 85 a includes higher stresses at the attachment points between the torsion tube 122 and the members 110, 114. The high stress in these areas requires the use of larger torsion tubes 122, larger welds, and thicker plates for the first and second members 110, 114.

With reference to FIGS. 4-5, a handle 85 b is illustrated according to an embodiment of the invention. The handle 85 b is intended to replace the handle 85 in the shovel 10 of FIG. 1, in some embodiments of the invention. The handle 85 b includes a first member 210 and a second member 214 that are joined at a first end 218 by an arcuate transition cross member 222. The cross member 222 extends between an interior face 226 of the first member 210 and an opposite interior face 230 of the second member 214. The handle 85 b further includes implement attachment points 234 (e.g., dipper attachment points) at the first end 218 where an implement (for example, a dipper similar to the dipper 70 of FIG. 1) is attached to the handle 85 b. In the illustrated embodiment, the first member 210 and the second member 214 are rectangular (i.e., box-shaped), but in alternative embodiments, the first and second members 210 and 214 may have different cross-sectional shapes (e.g., circular, oval, triangular, etc.).

The cross member 222 includes an upper planar portion 238, a lower planar portion 242, and a curved portion 246 connecting the upper and lower planar portions 238, 242. In the illustrated embodiment, the upper planar portion 238 is parallel to the lower planar portion 242. Each of the upper planar portion 238 and the lower planar portion 242 include a smooth, curved (i.e., arcuate) transition 250 extending toward each of the first and second members 210, 214. More specifically, the transitions 250 extend toward the interior faces 226, 230 of the rectangular members 210, 214 such that the cross member 222 meets (i.e., intersects) both of the members 210, 214 at non-orthogonal angles. The curved transitions 250 eliminate any high stress concentration points between the cross member 222 and the first and second members 210, 214. In other words, the cross member 222 extends transversely between the first and second members 210, 214 and includes mechanical stress-reducing curved portions 250 to transition into the top and bottom of the first and second members 210, 214. In the illustrated embodiment, the upper transitions 250 have a radius of approximately 28 inches that is swept through an angle of approximately 90 degrees, and the lower transitions 250 have a radius of approximately 35 inches that is swept through an angle of approximately 90 degrees. In alternative embodiments, the upper and lower transitions 250 may have a radius within a range of approximately 10 inches to approximately 40 inches that is swept through an angle within a range of approximately 80 degrees to approximately 100 degrees.

With reference to FIG. 5, the cross member 222 defines a channel and includes an open cross-section (i.e., not a closed tube). The transitions 250 allow the torsional stiffness to be gradually transitioned into the first and second members 210, 214. In the illustrated embodiment, the cross member 222 includes a C-shaped cross-section. In alternative embodiments, the cross member 222 may include the arcuate transitions 250 with any cross-sectional shapes (e.g., circular, oval, triangular, etc.). Any loss of torsional stiffness with the cross member 222 is traded for a significant reduction in stress at the connection between the cross member 222 and the rectangular members 210, 214. With the reduced stress profile, supporting plates that are positioned within the first and second members 210, 214 for additional support, can be reduced in size and lightened.

Alternatively, the cross member 222 and implement attachment points 234 can be a cast component that is welded along a line 254 to the first and second members 210, 214. In other words, everything to the right of the line 254 from the frame of reference of FIG. 4 can be formed as a single cast part and then welded on to the first and second members 210, 214. Additionally, by utilizing the cross member 222 to reduce the stress levels, the thickness 258 of the first and second members 210, 214 can be reduced.

With reference to FIGS. 6-7, a handle 85 c is illustrated according to an embodiment of the invention. The handle 85 c is intended to replace the handle 85 in the shovel 10 of FIG. 1, in some embodiments of the invention. The handle 85 c includes a first member 310 and a second member 314 that are joined at a first end 318 by an arcuate transition cross member 322. The cross member 322 extends between an interior face 326 of the first member 310 and an opposite interior face 330 of the second member 214. The handle 85 c further includes implement attachment points 334 (e.g., dipper attachment points) at the first end 318 where an implement (for example, a dipper similar to the dipper 70 of FIG. 1) is attached to the handle 85 c. In the illustrated embodiment, the first member 310 and the second member 314 are rectangular (i.e., box-shaped), but in alternative embodiments, the first and second members 310 and 314 may have different cross-sectional shapes (e.g., circular, oval, triangular, etc.).

The cross member 322 includes an upper planar portion 338, a lower planar portion 342, a curved portion 346 connecting the upper and lower planar portions 338, 342, and a flat portion 348 also connecting the upper and lower planar portions 338, 342 (opposite the curved portion 346). In the illustrated embodiment, the upper planar portion 338 is parallel to the lower planar portion 342, and the flat portion 348 extends perpendicularly between the upper and lower planar portions 338, 342. Each end of the flat portion 348 includes a smooth, curved transition 350 extending toward each of the first and second members 310, 314. More specifically, the transitions 350 extend toward the interior faces 326, 330 of the rectangular members 310, 314 such that the cross member 322 meets (i.e., intersects) both of the members 310, 314 at non-orthogonal angles. The transitions 350 eliminate any high stress concentration points between the cross member 322 and the first and second rectangular members 310, 314. In other words, the cross member 322 extends transversely between the first and second members 310, 314 and includes mechanical stress-reducing curved portions 350 to transition into the top and bottom of the first and second members 310, 314. In the illustrated embodiment, the transitions 350 have a radius of approximately 20 inches that is swept through an angle of approximately 90 degrees. In alternative embodiments, the transitions 350 may have a radius within a range of approximately 10 inches to approximately 30 inches that is swept through an angle within a range of approximately 80 degrees to approximately 100 degrees.

With reference to FIG. 7, the cross member 322 includes a closed cross-section, and the smooth transitions 350 allow the torsional stiffness to be gradually transitioned into the first and second members 310, 314. In the illustrated embodiment, the cross member 322 includes a D-shaped cross-section. In alternative embodiments, the cross member 322 may include the arcuate transitions 350 with any cross-sectional shapes (e.g., circular, oval, triangular, etc.). The torsional stiffness of the cross member 322 is similar to a torsion tube, but a significant reduction of mechanism stress is achieved with the cross member 322, thereby increasing the expected life of the handle 85 c. With the reduced stress profile, supporting plates that are positioned within the first and second members 310, 314 for additional support, can be reduced in size and lightened.

Alternatively, the cross member 322 and implement attachment points 334 can be a cast component that is welded along a line 354 to the first and second rectangular, box members 310, 314. In other words, everything to the right of the line 354 from the frame of reference of FIG. 6 can be formed as a single cast part and then welded on to the first and second members 310, 314. Additionally, by utilizing the cross member 322 to reduce the stress levels, the thickness 358 of the first and second members 310, 314 can be reduced

The handles 85 b and 85 c eliminate the highly stressed portions of the conventional designs (e.g., the handle 85 a). The gradual and even transitions 250, 350 on the cross members 222, 322 provide for an even stress flow into the top and bottom of the side members, with less susceptibility to cracking. As such, the handles 85 b and 85 c have an increased expected life when compared to the conventional handle 85 a. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A handle configured to attach an implement to an industrial machine, the handle comprising: a first member; a second member; and a third member extending between the first member and the second member, the third member includes a first transition extending toward the first member and a second transition extending toward the second member.
 2. The handle of claim 1, wherein the first member includes a first attachment point for the implement and the second member includes a second attachment point for the implement.
 3. The handle of claim 1, wherein the third member includes a first attachment point for the implement and a second attachment point for the implement.
 4. The handle of claim 3, wherein the third member and the first attachment point and the second attachment point are formed as a single integral component.
 5. The handle of claim 1, wherein the third member is arcuate.
 6. The handle of claim 1, wherein the first member includes a first interior face and the second member includes a second interior face, opposite the first interior face, and wherein the third member extends between the first interior face and the second interior face.
 7. The handle of claim 6, wherein the first transition extends toward the first interior face and the second transition extends toward the second interior face.
 8. The handle of claim 1, wherein the first transition includes a radius within a range of 10 inches to 30 inches.
 9. The handle of claim 8, wherein the first transition is swept through an angle within a range of 80 degrees to 100 degrees.
 10. The handle of claim 1, wherein the third member includes a first planar portion, a second planar portion, and a curved portion extending between the first planar portion and the second planar portion.
 11. The handle of claim 10, wherein the first planar portion is parallel to the second planar portion.
 12. The handle of claim 10, wherein the third member further includes a flat portion extending between the first planar portion and the second planar portion, the flat portion positioned opposite the curved portion.
 13. The handle of claim 1, wherein the third member includes a closed cross-section.
 14. The handle of claim 13, wherein the third member includes a D-shaped cross-section.
 15. The handle of claim 1, wherein the third member further includes a third transition extending toward the first member and a fourth transition extending toward the second member.
 16. The handle of claim 15, wherein the first transition includes a first radius and the third transition includes a second radius different from the first radius.
 17. The handle of claim 1, wherein the third member includes an open cross-section.
 18. The handle of claim 17, wherein the third member includes a C-shaped cross-section.
 19. A connecting member of a handle configured to attach an implement to an industrial machine, the handle has a first member with a first interior face and a second member with a second interior face opposite the first interior face, the connecting member comprising: a third member extending between the first member and the second member, wherein the intersection of the third member with the first interior face is non-orthogonal and the intersection of the third member with the second interior face is non-orthogonal.
 20. The connecting member of claim 19, wherein the third member includes a first transition extending toward the first member and a second transition extending toward the second member. 